1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a master disk for magnetic transfer, a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic recording apparatus and, more particularly, to a master disk for magnetic transfer which is suitable for transferring magnetic information patterns of format information etc., to a magnetic disk used in a hard disk and the like, a magnetic recording medium to which magnetic information patterns have been magnetically transferred by the master disk, and a magnetic recording apparatus provided with the magnetic recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a magnetic disk (a hard disk), which is used in a hard disk drive which has rapidly come into wide use in recent years, it is general practice that format information and address information are written before the magnetic disk (the hard disk) is incorporated into the drive after delivery from a magnetic disk maker to a drive maker. Although this writing can also be performed by use of a magnetic head, it is efficient and desirable to perform collective transfer from a master disk in which these format information and address information are written.
In this magnetic transfer technology, a master disk and a disk targeted for transfer (a slave disk) are brought into close contact with each other, and in this condition, magnetic fields for transfer are applied by use of a magnetic field generating device, such as an electromagnet device and a permanent magnet device, disposed on one side or both sides, whereby magnetization patterns corresponding to information (for example, servo signals) which the master disk has are transferred.
In order to positively perform this magnetic transfer, it is required that the close contact condition between a master disk and a slave disk be made good and for this purpose, apparatus of various arrangements have hitherto been proposed (refer to the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-87099, for example). The proposal of the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-87099 relates to an apparatus which is such that master disks are held by a pair of holder units, a slave disk is supplied to between the pair of master disks by use of robot hands, and after that, magnetic fields for transfer are applied, with the master disks pressed against both surfaces of the slave disk and supported by being sandwiched.